Editorial: Public, private sectors must work together to help provide security for community events

Lathan Goumas | MLive.comPaul Herring(foreground) and Romerio Caldwell, 17, both of Flint, race to retrieve inflatable balls from the middle of Kearsley Avenue during a game of dodgeball as part of the Juneteenth Celebrations in downtown Flint on Sunday.

That may mean seeking donations from the public or business community, or working out arrangements with Flint’s Downtown Development Authority and other organizations.

In March, the Ancient Order of Hibernians held their annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on the sidewalk instead of using Saginaw Street because of the cost of a police presence.

A parade loses a bit of its appeal when it’s not held on a street, but we can’t fault the group for its creative approach to keeping down costs.

Juneteeth Committee Chairman Paul Herring recently contacted The Flint Journal via email to say that the city estimated the cost of police overtime for his event, which celebrates the end of slavery in America, at nearly $5,000. Herring said that amount is almost $3,000 more than the group had set aside.

He also noted some discrepancies in the number of officers the city claimed were needed and the length of the parade, among other things. He said the city was asking for advance payment.

Herring wisely began seeking donations to cover those costs, and the parade did happen.

But this is where inter-group cooperation and coordination could save the day ahead of time, instead of skyrocketing security costs causing a last-minute panic at festival time.

The public and private sectors need to put their heads together to come up with workable solutions to keep the family friendly events such as Juneteeth that add to the quality of life for local residents.

Maybe several such smaller events in Flint need to join forces and create an event safety committee to raise and manage funds that each of the groups can draw from to cover police protection when needed.

Yes, these are tight economic times. Parades, festivals and other celebrations require a police presence to ensure order and safety, and Flint cannot afford to foot the bill. But that doesn’t mean the money can’t be found.

We wish such groups well and urge the community and local businesses to step forward to help out. It would be a shame if community events had to be cancelled because organizers cannot afford security.